CARBONDALE - After the last Carbondale Area superintendent departed the district with a retirement package worth more than $300,000, his replacement's contract contains some new limits.

The limits also reflect changes to state law that went into effect last year.

On Feb. 19, Joseph Gorham, 41, of Ashley, was appointed to fill the leadership position vacated by long-time Superintendent Dominick Famularo, Ed.D.

He will begin his three-year contract April 3 at a yearly salary of $110,000, board President Gary Smedley explained. Unlike contracts of the past, there are no automatic raises built in, he said. Any salary increase would be at the discretion of the board.

Mr. Smedley said Dr. Famularo's contract would have cost the district more than $1 million over the next five years, while he estimated Mr. Gorham's three-year term to cost around $400,000.

There are also caps on the sick and vacation days Mr. Gorham will be able to cash in when he leaves the district. When Dr. Famularo retired, he cashed in 684 unused sick days; at $150 each, they added up to $102,600.

No more than 30 days of sick leave may be transferred in, according to the new contract, which also allows one sick day during each month of employment. There is no limit on how many sick days may be accrued, but no more than 225 may be cashed in when Mr. Gorham leaves his position.

If Mr. Gorham does cash in sick days, each will be worth $115, a decrease from previous rates.

The contract also stipulates that the school board be notified if more than three consecutive sick days are taken.

No more than 30 sick days may be compensated, according to state law.

Mr. Smedley said the board took an additional measure when laying out the terms of vacation days. Mr. Gorham is entitled to up to 28 vacation days each year, but half of those days must be used during the summer months.

"He'll be taking half of his vacation when no students will be here," Mr. Smedley said.

No more than 45 vacation days can be accumulated, and if cashed out upon retirement, the rate would be based on current salary.

Addressing how sick days and vacation days are handled was part of the reason the school board took an extra week to work on the contract before appointing Mr. Gorham.

"The new law is very complex," acting Superintendent and Business Manager David Cerra said at a meeting Wednesday. "I think we have it nailed down."

The board chose to require a superintendent's certificate or letter of eligibility, according to the contract, despite law changes last year that relax requirements to hold the district leadership position.

Another portion of the contract mandates that the school board provide a written evaluation of the superintendent by May 1 of each year. If the evaluation is not given, Mr. Gorham will automatically be rated as meeting expectations.

New superintendents or those whose contracts have been renewed since Nov. 1 are required to be evaluated yearly. According to the 2012-13 budget, performance standards and whether a superintendent meets them must also be posted online.

Mr. Gorham will receive the same health care benefits as those in the collective bargaining agreement. If he chooses to opt out of district health care, he will receive $3,850 per year to waive coverage.

He is also entitled to a $160,000 term life insurance policy; Dr. Famularo retired with a $200,000 life insurance policy.

Mr. Smedley said there were few examples of contracts to seek out because the laws were so new.

"We're one of the only districts in the state since the new laws went into effect last July to hire a superintendent," he said. "I know there were a lot of hours and a lot of paperwork."

Contact the writer: rbrown@timesshamrock.com, @rbrownTT on Twitter

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